Method and apparatus for ornamenting ceramic ware



Oct. 29, 1957 A. L. SCOTT 2,810,976

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ORNAMENTING CERAMIC WARE Original Filed Dec. 28, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR; ARTHUR L. SCOTT BY I A'. L. SCOTT Oct. 29, 1957 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ORNAMENTING CERAMIC WARE Original Filed Dec. 28, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ARTHUR L. SCOTT d/mw A. L, SCOTT Oct. 29, 1957 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ORNAMENTING CERAMIC WARE Original Filed Dec. 28, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. ARTHUR L. SCOTT IVIETH'OD AND APPARATUS FOR ORNANIENTING CERAh/HC WARE Arthur L. cott, (Iolurnbus, Ghio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Brake Shoe Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 263,926, December 28, 1951. This application December 27, 1952, Serial No. 328,173

8 Claims. (Cl. 41-1) This invention relates generally to pottery making and is more particularly directed to a method and apparatus for decorating potteryware, especially the type designated as flat dinnerware.

This application is a substitute for my copending application Serial No. 263,926, filed December 28, 1951, now abandoned, directed to method for ornamenting ceramic ware.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for quickly and easily applying ornamental designs to dinnerware.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of and apparatus for smoothing out and pressing design bearing transfers onto dinnerware, the method serving to expedite the decorating operation, improve the quality of the ware and decrease the handling of the ware during the operations of applying designs thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of decorating potteryware in which a design bearing transfer is placed on a piece of the ware then the ware with the transfer is exposed to a resilient pressing operation started at the center of the surface to be decorated and increased uniformly, or substantially so, in all directions from the center so that the transfer will be smoothed free of wrinkles and all air will be excluded from between the transfer and the ware.

- A still further object of the invention is to provide a method of decorating potteryware in which a piece of the ware has a transfer placed on a surface then the surface is exposed to a pressing operation which starts at the center of the surface and, in effect, rolls radially outwardly from the center in all directions simultaneously to force entrapped air from beneath the transfer, roll out wrinkles if any are present in the transfer and securely engage the transfer with the surface to be ornamented.

Still another object is to provide a method of applying transfers to ceramic or other dinnerware in which the surface of the were to be decorated is exposed to a re silien-t pressing action which starts at a spot which increases in diameter until a predetermined area is covered then decreases until the pressing action is discontinued.

It is also an object of the invention to provide apparatus for carrying out the foregoing method, the apparatus including a movable ram having a resilient ware engaging element so formed that, as the ram moves toward the ware, the element will engage the same at a point, then spread out over a predetermined area with substantialiy no slippage between the element and the ware, then as the ram retracts the area engaged by the element contracts until the element is finally disengaged from the ware.

An object also is to provide an apparatus of the type mentioned in the preceding paragraph with resilient means for supporting the ware during the pressing operation, the resilient supporting means being so designed and constructed that it will substantially duplicate the action of ware engaging element carried by the ram, that is, the

supporting element will engage the ware at a point op rates Patent f 2,810,976 Patented Oct. 29, 1957 posite that engaged by the ram supported element and spread out over an area substantially equal to that over which the ram supported element spreads; this form of apparatus serves to apply equal forces to the opposite sides of the ware and prevents breakage and mutilation of the ware.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out the method outlined above, the apparatus comprising a press having a support and a ram movable toward and away from the support, the ram and support being provided with opposed hemispherical elements formed from compressible rubber, the ware being placed on the element carried by the support then the ram advanced to squeeze the ware between the elements until the entire surface to be ornamented is engaged by one of the elements; the hemispherical shape and the composition of the Ware-engaging elements providing for the equalization of contact areas and forces of engagement on opposite sides of the ware whereby better quality ware may be produced with a minimum loss through breakage of ware and time consumed in arranging it in position to be processed.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the press embodying the invention and designed for carrying out the method.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation with parts in section showing the press illustrated in Fig. 1 in the first stage of operation.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are similar views showing the press in later stages of operation.

Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line VI-VI of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical sectional view taken through a modified ware engaging element which may be used in the press shown in Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and especially to Fig. 1, the invention has been illustrated as applied to a hydraulic press. This press is designated generally by the numeral and, while it may take many forms, the present illustration shows a two strain rod press which is particularly adaptable to the present invention. The press 20 includes a supporting frame 21 having legs 22 and a table section 23. This table section has a platen 24 secured thereto, the strain rods 25 extending upwardly therefrom. The upper ends of these strain rods support a yoke 26 to which is secured a power cylinder 27. This power cylinder is provided with a reciprocating ram 28, the lower end of this ram being connected with a cross head 30 which is received for sliding movement on the strain rods 25.

The power cylinder 27 has a laterally extending block 31 to the outer end of which is secured a control valve 32. This valve may be of any suitable design to effect the controlled flow of fluid to the power cylinder 27 and cause the desired movement of the ram 28 and cross head 30. In the present instance, the valve 32 has a shipper rod 33 extending downwardly therefrom to a valve actuating mechanism 34, this mechanism including a pair of levers 35 mounted for pivotal movement at the sides of the platen 24. These levers serve to actuate a pair of rearwardly extending arms 36 which engage a cross pin 37 carried by the lower end of the shipper rod 33. In the interest of safety, the connections between the levers 35, the arms 36 and the pin 37 are such that both of the levers 35 must be operated to effect the actuation of the control valve 32. The shipper rod 33 is also provided with a pair of spaced collars 38 which are disposed to :anda; relief ,valve, 42;

be actuated by the cross head in its movement to prevent the ram from traveling an excessive distance in either direction.

T asmave ducts formed ,inblock 3,1,ahydfaulic circiiitforll epress.

Through the .manipulationofi thielevers 35- fluidL sure may be supplied tothepowernnit ..27..t o;eff ect reciproca- .tion of the. ram. 28rand-cross head' 30. The mechanism .thus faridescribed} is 'con ventional in: construction and pperatiomand.formslno part of the present invention, Qhe invention being; directed to a method and apparatus which the press shown and thus far described is adaptable. Tocarry outthe present invention, theplaten 24 is provided with an adaptor 43 on which aplate 44 is supported; thisplateincludes a circular body 45 anda flange- 46. The platein turn supports-an inverted hemispherical ware engaging element' 47,.this element-being loosely secured to the plate 44 by a stud 48 having one end embedded in the-element and the other-extending .through an opening in the' plate and being provided with a nut50 to prevent complete separation of the element from the plate. A second plate5'1 is secured for movement with the cross head 30. This second plate also has abody. portion 52 and a flange 53. The plate 52 also has a second ware engagingelement 54, the elements 47 and 54 being, infthis instance, formed from a resilient material, such as rubber or a suitable composition thereof. Theelement 54 is'also hemispherical, beingrdisposed in opposed relation;to-the element 47,-that is, the elements are disposed with'the rounded surfaces facing one another. "Element 54 is1secured to plate 51 in the same manner as element-47 is secured ,to plate 44, that;is, arhe'aded stud .55 is embedded in theelement 54, the shank of the stud projectingthrough an opening in bodysland being providedwith a nut.56 to prevent undesirable separation. V a The invention is particularly adaptable to .applying ornamentaldesigns to ,fiat', or relatively. flat, ceramic. or similar dinnerware; Some ,of'this. ware,.namely plates, are provided with angularlyextending rims to 'which 'ornamental designs are frequently applied. m some instances,

The method and apparatus is particularly adaptable to the operation of applying design bearing transfers to dinnerware. In such operation, partially completed ware is coated with an adhesive and a transfer applied thereto.

In conventional operations, :the ware is handled many times, the transfers being manually rubbed or smoothed utsandcpressedint'o contact, with the adhesive. It is an objectiof this invention to eliminate-handling and to securermore efliciency inthe smoothing out and pressing .of-the.transferslontolthe ware. -In carrying outpthe method, the ware istcoatedjn the same manner withthe adhesive then a transfer is placed on the warev and the waredisposedon: the -lower ware engaging elementf47 as shown inFigxZ." The press is then operated to.cause the ram to move the second ware engaging element 54 into engagement with the ware. -It will be obvious that, due to the spherical surfaces of the elements 47 and 54, the inherent adhesion of; the molecules,of ruhbezoflwhich they are composedrand theirgcapacityidcompress,.they

will first engage the ware =.at;a,;single .point then v.continned advancement of the ram will causesthe. areas. en gaged by-the elements 47 and 54:.to increase.substantially radially uniformly. At the .same time the elements 47 and 54 will distribute the forcesapplied bysthe ram and platen over the surfaces of the ware, the greatest amount of the; force being applied. .atthe .Lpoints first contacted-the ,intensity'of the force decreasing from such points toward the edges: of the areas. contacted. This spreading out ;of areas ,contactedv will cause any air between thetransferand the ware to.be excluded, the trans fer-being smoothed out by. the'rolling-like actionrof' the elements asntherareas contacted increase. Whenthe areas contacted reach. therimsof the ware, the elements plate rim 58,

Ornamental designs .are also appliedto thefiat bottom sections of such plates. While thefinvention as specified ahoveis particularly. adaptable to ornamenting'flat ware, it.may ialsoibe fused in applyingdesignsito other-ware which maynot 'be designated as flatware; lnxthej illustration, a .platezis employed,*this plate being designated by the. numeral 57.' To accommodatel'the' apparatus to plate 5.7 which has the .angularly extending-rim 58, plates 44. and 51fare' formed to; include"similarly shaped frustoconical :surfacest60 and 61i The surface 60, which 'is formed on plate 44, is recessed in this plate to c'onfor'm to the upwardly extending bottom surface on the plate rim 58. The surfacefitl is formed on plate 51 and is-an-external surface, it :being designed to conform to the upper surface of the plate rim 58. The angular surfaces 60 and '61 are employed to change the compression charac teristics of the 'ware engaging elements 'as -these elements are moved into compressive engagement with the'plate 57. .One' of the features of the invention is tc-engage the ware onoppo'site sides with the same force'so that the: ware 5 will not be broken or otherwise mutilated. Through theiuse' of-hemispherical elements with the same-compression characteristics; the forcesjonthnpper and lower sides of the plate conforrn .andfwill -be-applied tdsubstantiallyequal areas; 5 By' providing thejricilined surfaces 60 and 61 this orm'ityfof force-and area, contact will be-the same even-though the angular rinrof the-plate is sneezed. a

47 and 54 will have..been compressed to a considerable .extennthe element47 :being forced downwardly into the concave portion of the plate 44 which causes a stress to be introduced intothe. rubber element-47. "This'initial' stress changes the compressioncharacteristics of the elemeat .47 making: it :cQmpensateSfOr the receding inclined portion oftheplaterim .58. i Theelement'54 has its compression characteristicchanged also due to-the receding surfacefil- .Ilhis surface, being inclined similarly to the pandinexternal diameter as they are -compresse d, "the elements 1 being shown" i'ri- -this expanded condition in Fig. 5; @A's'the compressive force is'diminiShed, fthese elements will ret-ract to their initial position. ,Plate 44, is'

provided; as shownin Fig. 6, with'a plurality of holes-to permitthe escape of air betweenthelelement, 47 and the plate 44'when the .jeleme nte'isbeing compressed. i

The lower ware engaging elementand supporting plate may be modified .to have the compression characteristics initially changedpasshown inFig. '7'. luthis figure,z;t,h e

element 47A is vulcanized or otherwisesecured to a ;cen-t tral plate 44A then a plate :ring 44B is applied to the plate 44A, the ring 443 havinganupwardly and outwardly extending conical surface 60A formed thereon. This surface engages the underside of the element 47A; and compressesit in the same manner in which element 47 is compressed during operation in the form of the inventionshownin Figs. 2-to 5, inclusive. 'Ring 44B also has a fiange portion 46A to ,permit the expansionrof thefelem j' P th r n r PteSsiii g,.operation. ..It should be obvious that the angularity causes the element 54 tobead'apted'to the inclined portionof .theplate rim 58. The areas offtfi'e of surfaces 60, 60A 7 U and 61 may be changed depending upon the shape of ware to be operated upon by the mechanism.

While the form of embodiment of the preset invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow:

I claim:

1. Apparatus for ornamenting dinner plates comprising a support; a ram guided for movement toward and away from said support; a solid rubber hemispherical element disposed on said support with the rounded surface thereof facing said ram; 21 second solid rubber hemispherical element carried by said ram with the rounded surface thereof facing the first-mentioned element; and means engaging the rubber elements on the surfaces opposite the rounded surface to modify the compression characteristics of portions of the rubber elements as the engagement of the latter With Ware disposed therebetween is increased.

2. Apparatus for ornamenting dinnerware comprising a support; a ram guided for movement toward and away from said support; mounting fixtures on said support and ram, each of said fixtures having a planar surface and an annular inclined surface extending therefrom, said annular surfaces being inclined in the same direction; and a solid rubber hemisphere carried by each of said fixtures, the rounded surfaces of said hemispheres being opposed, the back of one hemisphere engaging the planar surface of one fixture and the back of the other hemisphere engaging the outer periphery of the annular inclined surface of the other fixture.

3. Apparatus for ornamenting dinnerware comprising a support; a ram guided for movement toward and away from said support, mounting fixtures on said support and ram, each of said fixtures having a planar surface, an annular inclined surface extending therefrom and an annular flange substantially parallel with said planar surface extending from the periphery of said annular inclined surfaces, the latter surfaces of said fixtures being inclined in a similar direction; and a solid rubber hemisphere carried by each of said fixtures, the rounded surfaces of said hemispheres being opposed, the back of one hemisphere engaging the planar surface of One fixture and the back of the other hemisphere engaging the outer periphery of the annular inclined surface of the other fixture.

4. A method of applying ornamental designs to dinnerware comprising the steps of placing a design bearing transfer on a piece of the Ware; applying opposed resilient pressing forces to opposite surfaces of said piece of ware; progressively increasing the areas engaged by the pressing forces simultaneously on both sides of the ware; and changing the characteristics of the pressing forces during a predetermined portion of their application to the ware.

5. A method of applying ornamental designs to articles of dinnerware having irregular surface areas comprising the steps of placing a design bearing transfer on a piece of the ware; applying opposed resilient pressing forces to opposite surfaces of said piece of ware; progressively increasing the areas engaged by the pressing forces simultaneously on both sides of the ware; and retarding the application of the pressing force at one side of the irregular portion of the ware and accelerating the application of the pressing force at the other side of said portion to effect the application of equal pressing forces to both sides of the irregular portion simultaneously.

6. A method of applying ornamental designs to articles of dinnerware having irregular surface areas comprising the steps of placing a design bearing transfer on a piece of the ware; applying opposed resilient pressing forces to opposite surfaces of said piece of Ware; progressively increasing the areas engaged by the pressing forces simultaneously on both sides of the ware; and simultaneously changing the rates of application of the pressing forces at opposite surfaces of said piece of ware to effect the application of equal pressing forces to both sides of the irregular portion simultaneously.

7. A method of applying ornamental designs to dinnerware comprising the steps of placing a design bearing transfer on one surface of a piece of the ware; engaging registering points on the transfer and the opposite surface of the piece of Ware with substantially hemispherical resilient pressing elements; pressing the piece of ware between said pressing elements and uniformly increasing the areas engaged thereby, the intensity of the effective pressing forces applied to the opposite surfaces of the piece of ware diminishing from such registering points radially outward toward the edges of the areas engaged thereby.

8. A method of applying ornamental designs to dinnerware comprising the steps of placing a design bearing transfer on one of the oppositely facing surfaces of a piece of the Ware; applying pressing forces to such oppositely facing surfaces by engaging registering points on such surfaces with resilient force-distributing pressing eleents; progressively increasing the areas contacted by said elements uniformly in all directions from said points simultaneously on both surfaces of said piece; and distributing the forces over the areas contacted with the intensity of the forces being the greatest at the points first engaged and decreasing toward the edges of the areas contacted.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10,465 Anthony Jan. 31, 1854 1,206,656 Benedictus Nov. 28, 1916 1,349,384 Mclntire Aug. 10, 1920 2,519,661 Johnson Aug. 22, 1950 2,565,949 Clifford Aug. 28, 1951 

